Propelling mechanism for aeroplanes.



H. SORLEY.

PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, l9l7- Patented J une 18, 1918.

3 SHEETS SHEET I.

iNVENTOR WITNESSES rim/117 fiflrley ATTORNEY H. SORLEY.

PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR AEROPLANES.

\1:++:.;% I M Patented June 18, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

'- AVA INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY H. SORLEY.

PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 23. 1917.

Patented June 18, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEY nnn'rvra SURLIEY, 01E lltlhCUllllB, ILLINOIS.

FWMIPELLING MECHANISM FOR AEROJPLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented at nine 1%, ilhlld,

hrlgilnnl appltcaflon tilled 111119 15, 1916, Serial No. 109,5;11. Divided and this application filed May 23, 1917. hcrlal life. lmAlt l.

To (104 whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HARTVIG Sonnnr, a subject of the King of Norway, residing at Macomb, in the county of McDonough and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propelling I to Provide an improved propelling mechalli nism for use in driving aeroplanes of that type illustrated in my copendmg application, filed July 15, 1916, Ser 1al :Number 109,531, of which this application is a division, and which embodies means whereby the momentum of the machine will be utilized to propel the same.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide improved gearing connections between the motor and the propeller blades, as well as novel means for making and severing the driving connections.

With these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in'the novel formation, combination, and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the draw ngs, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the aeroplane propelling mechamsm;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an aeroplane equipped with the propellingmechanism Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 41 is a similar view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

dli

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on line 55 of Fig. 1, and showing the gearing from the main to the secondary shafts;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken through the ratchet gear; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawmgs, 11 indicates the aeroplane frame, which supports the floor, and which carries the motor or engine 12 for driving the propellers.

The propelling mechanism includes, in the present instance, four propellers, two of which are located at the sides of the aeroplane and adjacent the forward end thereof, and the other pair of propellers are located one upon each side of the machine and upon the rear end thereof. The forward propellers are indicated at 13, and are of the helicoidal type, and each has afixed to its rear end a rim gear 14:. These propellers may be mounted in .any suitable manner upon the frame of the aeroplane, and have their axes disposed longitudinally of the said frame.

The aft propellers are indicated at 15 and are of the screw blade type, each being supported upon a forwardly projecting propeller shaft 16 mounted in suitable bearings upon the machine frame. The forward end of each of the shafts 16 carries a pinion 17 which, at certain times, is adapted to receive power through a suitable gear train driven by the helicoidal propellers at the forward end of the machine.

Extending rearwardly from the helicoidal propellers and parallel with the propeller shafts are jack shafts 18, each of which carries at its forward end a pinion 19 in mesh with the teeth of the rim gear 14: on the adjacent helicoidal propeller. Each pinion 19 is rotatably mounted upon its supporting shaft 18, being held thereon against longitudinal movement by the collars 20 and 21 secured to the shaft by pins 22, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Each gear isprovided with a ratchet portion 23, the latter being adapted to be engaged by a pawl 2d pivoted upon one of the collars, and a spring 25 yieldably holds the pawl engaged with the teeth of the ratchet portion. From this construction, it is apparent that a driving connection may be established between the rim gear 14 and the shaft 18 only when the former is rotated in one direction, and when the helicoidal propellers rotate at a greater speed than that of the shaft 18, the pawl and ratchet arrangement at once establishes a driving connection between the rim gear and the shaft 18, so that the latter is driven by the helicoidal propeller. The helicoidal propellers are adapted when rotating to transmit power to the aft propellers, so that should the aeroplane motor fail while the machine is in flight, the power developed in the helicoidal propellers will be suflicient to drive the machine forwardly.

The rear end of each jack shaft 18 is equipped with a gear 26, which meshes with a pinion portion 27 affixed to an intermediate gear 28 rotatably mounted upon the aeroplane frame. This gear 28 is in mesh with the pinion 17 upon the forward end of the aft propeller shaft. It is thus seen that the friction of air against the vanes of the helicoidal propeller when the machine is moving forwardly, will develop driving power, through the rim and pinion 1419, in the shaft 18. The gear train above described transmits this rotary movement in the shaft 18 to the aft propeller shaft, whereupon the driving propellers at the rear of the machine are operated. It is preferred that'the helicoidal propellers be relatively large, so as to increase the air resisting surface of the same for the purpose of developing a relatively great amount of power, and the particular helicoidal propeller arrangement also reduces the head-on resistance of the machine when in flight.

Each of the rearwardly projectin blade propeller shafts is equipped with a eveled gear 30, in mesh with a similar gear 31 aflixed to the outer end of a transverse driving shaft 32, the latter deriving its movement from The driving shaft of the motor is indicated at 33, and is equipped at its rear end with a beveled gear 34 in mesh with the oppositely disposed gears 35 on the adjacent ends of the transverse driving shafts 32. A clutch mechanism, indicated generally at 36, is arranged in the driving shaft of the motor, so that a power connection between the beveled gear 34 and the engine shaft may be made or severed when desired. A clutch operating rod- 37 extends forwardly from the clutch and is connected to the lower end of a lever 38 pivoted adjacent the forward end ofthe machine and in convenient reach of the driver or aviator.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that when the motor is started, and the driving clutch thrown in, the power developed in the motor will be transmitted through the shafts 32 to the propeller shafts 16, and the propellers on thesaid shafts will force the machine forwardly. At the same time the propeller shafts are rotated, the jack shafts 18 are also in rotation, as the propeller andjack shafts are connected by the gear train above described. This rotation of the jack shafts, however, will not operate upon the helicoidal propellers, as the ratchet gear at the forward end of the jack shafts will be rotating in such direction that the sprin pressed pawls attached to the collars affixed rotary the motor or engine 12.

naeaeva to, theshaft will be idling over the teeth thereof. The friction of air against the helicoidal propellers when the machine is advancing will cause the said propellers to rotate, whereupon the head on resistance offered by air to the advancing machine is reduced, and power is developed in the rim gear 14. Should the engine fail when the machine is in flight, the rapidly rotatin helicoidal propellers will drive the ice shafts 18, whereupon the propeller shafts at the rear end of the machine will be rotated. It is thus seen that the forward momentum of the machine is utilized as the source of power by which the propellers may be driven.

While the present disclosure is believed to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but that various changes in the minor details of construction, arrangement and proportion of parts may be resorted to, if desired, without departin from the spirit of the invention, as define in the appended claims.

What is claimed is I 1. In an aeroplane, a motor, a plurality of propellers of both helicoidal and bladed screw type capable of rotating independently of each other, and means for establishing a driving connection between said he1icoidal and screw propellers independent of said motor.

2. In an aeroplane, a motor, a plurality of propellers on each side of the longitudinal axis of the aeroplane, the propellers of each side including at least one of helical form, and means for establishing a driving connection between said helicoidal and screw propellers when the former rotates in one direction only.

3. In an aeroplane, a motor, a driving propeller, a connection between said motor and said driving propeller, a helicoidal propeller, and means for establishing a driving connection between said helicoidal and screw propellers when the speed of the former in one direction exceeds that delivered to said driving propeller by said motor.

4. In an aeroplane, a motor, a plurality of propellers of the screw bladed type, a plurality of propellers of helicoidal type, and means for establishing a driving connection between said helicoidal and screw propellers when the former rotates in one direction.

5. In an aeroplane,'a motor, laterally extending shafts connected with said motor and driven therefrom, longitudinally extending shafts in driven connection with said laterally extending shafts and carrying propellers, longitudinally extending jack sha gear connections between said jack shafts and said longitudinally extending shafts, helicoidal propellers each having a peripheral gear, and a gear and ratchet com nae eva nection between said peripheral gears and said jack shaft, and means for breaking the 10 said longitudinal jack shafts. driving connection between said propeller 6. In an aeroplane, a motor, a propeller and jacks. shaft, a jack shaft, a train of gears estab- In testimony whereof afix my signature lishing a driving connection between said in presence of two witnesses.

shafts, a driving connection between said HARTVIG SORLEY. motor and propeller shaft, a helicoidal pro- Witnesses: peller, a gear carried by said propeller, a O A; ANnnnsoN,

ratchet connection between said gear and GUSTAV H. SoHnrsmoM. 

